


Just an Old Place

by MikaTheRaccoon



Category: Horror - Fandom
Genre: Creepy, Dare, Horror, Loss, Short Story, Tension, Wrong, apprehension, surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 04:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikaTheRaccoon/pseuds/MikaTheRaccoon
Summary: It was only supposed to be a dumb dare. This shouldn't have happened...right?Atlas and his friends Yami and Audrey get dared to go into the local 'haunted' house. But something isn't right, there's something sinister about this house and it won't end well..





	Just an Old Place

**Author's Note:**

> First work I've really posted, constructive criticism is welcomed but if you're here to be a bitch I'll happily tell ya where to shove your opinion. Read on Dahlings~

Making my way up the rotted porch steps I get smacked right in the face with the nauseating stench of decay. Gagging noises sound from behind me and I’m a little choked up myself.

"What is that?!" That's Yami who’s standing a ways back just in front of the steps. Audrey’s too busy coughing and making almost comical gagging sounds to say anything.  
  
Covering my nose with a muffled cough, I manage to reply, "I don't know, but it smells like something died so lets just get inside."

Anything would be better than this godawful smell. They groan, and I level a glare at them from over my shoulder while Audrey regards the ramshackle house apprehensively. Yami’s just hiding behind her at this point.  
  
I huff at their reluctance, "Don't give me that, we all accepted the dare so deal with it." Ignoring their annoyed grumbling, I stride over to the front door and yank it open, hoping to get away from that horrible smell. The rusty hinges screeching in protest at my entry as I elbow my way into the old building.  
  
For a brief second everything was fine, any traces of the smell had all but disappeared, and we could get this ridiculous dare over with. Until I notice something that makes me lurch over the threshold of the doorway. There’s this...this overwhelming feeling of…. Something is wrong with this house, dreadfully wrong.  
  
The girls push past me without mentioning my falter, though I suspect they were to busy looking around to notice. Audrey promptly started to explore the hall we had just entered, Yami trailing after her timidly.  
  
"This place is creepy as hell!" Audrey exclaims excitedly despite her apprehension just seconds before, wiping dust off a positively ancient wall mirror.

Shaking my head at her odd eagerness, I gather a deep breath through my nose to steady myself and scan the hallway. The inside is just as decrepit as the outside and chock full of dust to boot. I wrinkle my nose at the pungent smell of mildew and something faintly metallic.  
  
"Lovely…." With that sarcastic statement I stand tall, reluctantly starting to explore and trying to ignore the feeling as it persisted. Ultimately, I just brushed the feeling off though I was left somewhat shaken.  
  
At some point I had drifted away from the others to investigate the rest of the spacious house. Passing by the door I entered one of the side rooms and looked around.  
  
Dust, dust, more dust...hm. A picture captured my attention, and I moved deeper into the room, bending over the desk it rested on to examine it. Just a ordinary family picture of the folks who lived here last standing in the parlor. Disappointed, I started to straighten when something strange made me bend closer.  
  
A dark smudge stained the background behind one of the children, vaguely humanoid but too blurry to make out clearly. I shuddered a chill going down my spine, the room seeming to plummet several degrees in temperature. The feeling which I had been ignoring till now came back, stronger than before.  
  
That's irrational it's a warm summer night, the house is probably just drafty. Besides it's an old house of course it seems creepy, there's no one here but us. Honestly Atlas you're being childish, jumping at shadows. What could go wrong?  
  
No sooner than that thought crossed my mind, a bloodcurdling scream rang through the house.

Audrey?! Cursing I took off down the hall and towards the living room. Skidding to a stop I almost slammed into a wall, barely catching myself on the doorway.

Peering around I couldn’t distinguish anything from the shadows of the house when I spotted a huddled shape in the corner. Startled I moved closer until I could make out sun-bleached hair and breathed a sigh of relief, its just Yami.

Relief turned back into worry when I recognized the look on her face, fear. Not the usual she’s scared of a spider fear. This is animalistic, instinctual fear. But of what, and where’s Audrey? Gradually, I walked towards her huddled form. Her mouth moved but I can’t hear anything. What’s she saying?

“Yami?” She said nothing, continuing to murmur inaudibly, turquoise eyes staring vacantly at the floor.

I tried again crouching in front of her, “Yami are you okay? Where...Where’s Audrey?” Her gaze moved from the floor to my face and I started to ask again when she finally answered me.

“Someth...Got her...gone...” I felt my blood run cold and my face went pale, grey eyes widening. The room got colder.

“Got her? Yami, what got Audrey?” I couldn’t hide the slight tremble in my voice when I asked.

It didn’t matter anyways. She had focused her gaze on something behind me now. Dread settled in my stomach like a coiled snake and I stiffened. Whatever had taken Audrey is in this room, right behind me.

Tense silence was broken by one distinct word, “Run.” I don’t hesitate, I don’t look back. I just run, like a coward I run away. Even when I hear the screams and the ripping of flesh, I run. The worst part is I don’t feel ashamed. There’s no remorse just frantic terror as I sprint back down the hall I came from.

The front door, I need to get to the front door! Crash! I smack into a wall trying to round a sharp corner and leave a dent in the wall. My shoulder hurts. Keep going, the door’s in sight. My legs burn, it’s hard to breathe. Almost there, keep going.

Something dark moved in the my peripheral vision. Oh god... I stutter to a stop, lungs burning and my shoulder throbbing. I don’t pay it any mind, my eyes fixed on the mirror in front of me. In the reflection a humanoid shadow sat, in the middle of the room just in front of my only escape.

Panic starts to set in and I search for a different way out or a hiding spot. There! I Dart for another door instead, the closet I noticed earlier. What I don’t notice in my distressed state are the streaks of still wet blood on the floor, leading to the closet.

Yanking open the door, I slip inside, whirling around to face the door as I shut it behind me with a click.

Safe, I slump against the back wall, It’s sticky but I don’t care. Liquid drips on my face and something stringy like cornsilk brushes against my hair.

I flinch back, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Spitting it out I feel something else run down my face and for the first time since all this chaos started, I begin to cry.

Sobs wrack my body and I cover my mouth, stifling them. Blood smears over my hands and face as I’m hit with the realization.

They’re gone, they’re really gone and I’m alone. With this...this thing.

I feel a flash of determination, hot like a brand, searing my insides. I won’t go down like this. If I remain here I’ll die and I’ll be damned if I die crying like a coward in this closet.

Wiping away tears I square my shoulders, reaching out to grasp the rusted brass handle. I don’t allow myself to hesitate forcing myself to push open the door and scan the hall.

Then I look up and my shoulders slumped, any will to fight draining from me. Hanging from the ceiling in front of me is the thing, an inhuman smirk stretched across its emaciated face. I stare back at it, my defeated face reflecting back at me from its hollow, black eyes.

It knew, the entire time. It knew I was in the closet the entire time, and I foolishly thought I could escape. 

“Who..wh-what are you?” I ask, shattering the tense silence with my shaky voice. I don’t even know if it can speak, but I have to know...I need to know.

“Why, my dear..dear Atlas..." If possible its grin grew wider, pallid skin straining. Reaching forward with a clawed hand, it brushes some dark locks from my blood splattered face with cruel gentleness.

"I...am Insanity!” It draws its hand back, starting to cackle wildly. I blink and just like that, it’s gone. But I can still hear the echoes, its insane laughter ringing through my skull.

A pressure starts to build behind my eyes and I clutch my head, fingers digging into my scalp. My vision begins to flicker out of focus.

Then everything goes white, that same insane laughter that had caused me so much pain spilling from my own mouth. My own laughter, taunts me, bouncing off the stained white walls of my padded room.

Twitching, I lay prone in the plain straight jacket that holds me hostage and eventually the laughter fades. Instead I hear a single word, whispered like the secrets of a dear friend. The word.. the one thing that started all this madness, this chaos.

Insanity.


End file.
